U.S. patent number 11,286,140 [Application Number 16/434,730] was granted by the patent office on 2022-03-29 for floor jack lockout assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Snap-on Incorporated. The grantee listed for this patent is Snap-on Incorporated. Invention is credited to Jonathan I. Andersen, James T. Rettler, Benjamin T. Schulz.
United States Patent |
11,286,140 |
Andersen , et al. |
March 29, 2022 |
Floor jack lockout assembly
Abstract
A floor jack locking assembly is presented. The locking assembly
may include a locking pin used to mechanically lock out the jack at
a specified lift height. The locking assembly may avoid the
hydraulic lift cylinder being the only stabilizing component of the
jack when supporting a significant load. The locking pin may be
coupled to lifting link arms, avoiding the need to have the locking
pin inserted into or through the lifting arm of the jack.
Inventors: |
Andersen; Jonathan I. (Mount
Pleasant, WI), Rettler; James T. (Kenosha, WI), Schulz;
Benjamin T. (Racine, WI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Snap-on Incorporated |
Kenosha |
WI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Snap-on Incorporated (Kenosha,
WI)
|
Family
ID: |
70553505 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/434,730 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200385251 A1 |
Dec 10, 2020 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B66F
1/025 (20130101); B66F 5/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B66F
5/04 (20060101); B66F 1/02 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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101665222 |
|
Mar 2010 |
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CN |
|
203877843 |
|
Oct 2014 |
|
CN |
|
106904553 |
|
Jun 2017 |
|
CN |
|
206814331 |
|
Dec 2017 |
|
CN |
|
2309020 |
|
Jul 1997 |
|
GB |
|
M253595 |
|
Dec 2004 |
|
TW |
|
201529029 |
|
Aug 2015 |
|
TW |
|
Other References
UK Combined Search and Examination Report for Application No.
GB2004507.6, 5 pages. cited by applicant .
Examination Report for corresponding Australian Application No.
2020202138 dated Mar. 5, 2021, 8 pages. cited by applicant .
Taiwan Office Action for corresponding Taiwan Application No.
11020591200 dated Jun. 24, 2021, 7 pages. cited by applicant .
Canadian Office Action for corresponding Canadian Application No.
3,082,213 dated Jun. 29, 2021, 3 pages. cited by applicant .
Chinese Office Action for corresponding Chinese Application No.
202010506643.9 dated Jul. 27, 2021, 7 pages. cited by
applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Hong; Seahee
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A floor jack, comprising: a frame including lock pin holes; a
lifting arm pivotally coupled to the frame; a lifting mechanism
coupled to the lifting arm; a lifting link arm coupled to the
lifting mechanism; and a locking pin adapted to couple the lifting
link arm and the frame through at least one of the lock pin holes;
and a handle pivotally coupled to the lifting mechanism, wherein
the handle includes a recess adapted to receive the locking
pin.
2. The floor jack of claim 1, wherein the lifting link arm includes
a pin lifting arm hole adapted to receive the locking pin.
3. The floor jack of claim 1, further comprising first position
indicators disposed on the frame.
4. The floor jack of claim 3, further comprising alignment
indicators that respectively correspond to the first position
indicators.
5. The floor jack of claim 4, further comprising secondary position
indicators disposed on the frame proximal to the lock pin holes,
wherein the secondary position indicators respectively correspond
to the first position indicators.
6. The floor jack of claim 1, wherein the lock pin holes includes
first, second, and third lock pin holes, the first lock pin hole
corresponding to a first locked position, the second lock pin hole
corresponding to a second locked position, and the third lock pin
hole corresponding to a third locked position.
7. The floor jack of claim 6, further comprising a first set of
position indicators disposed on the frame; a first set of alignment
indicators disposed on the frame proximal to the first set of
position indicators; a secondary set of position indicators
disposed on the frame proximal to the lock pin holes; wherein the
locking pin is adapted to be disposed in the first lock pin hole
when a support bar of the floor jack is aligned with a first
alignment indicator of the first set of alignment indicators that
is proximal to a first position indicator of the first set of
position indicators.
8. The floor jack of claim 1, wherein the lock pin holes include a
first set of lock pin holes and a second set of lock pin holes, the
first set of lock pin holes disposed on an opposite side of the
frame from the second set of lock pin holes.
9. The floor jack of claim 8, wherein the locking pin is adapted to
be disposed in the first and second sets of lock pin holes.
10. A floor jack comprising: a frame including first and second
side portions that respectively form exterior sides of the floor
jack, and lock pin holes extending through the first side portion;
a lifting arm pivotally coupled to the frame; a lifting mechanism
coupled to the lifting arm: a lifting link arm coupled to the
lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting link arm includes a pin
lifting arm hole; a lock pin adapted to engage the frame and the
lifting link arm by being disposed through at least one of the lock
pin holes and into the pin lifting arm hole to mechanically lock
the lifting mechanism; and a handle pivotally coupled to the
lifting mechanism.
11. The floor jack of claim 10, further comprising first position
indicators disposed on the frame.
12. The floor jack of claim 11, further comprising alignment
indicators that respectively correspond to the first position
indicators.
13. The floor jack of claim 12, further comprising secondary
position indicators disposed on the frame proximal to the lock pin
holes, wherein the secondary position indicators respectively
correspond to the first position indicators.
14. The floor jack of claim 10, wherein the lock pin holes includes
first, second, and third lock pin holes, the first lock pin hole
corresponding to a first locked position, the second pin hole
corresponding to a second locked position, and the third lock pin
hole corresponding to a third locked position.
15. The floor jack of claim 14, further comprising a first set of
position indicators disposed on the frame; a first set of alignment
indicators disposed on the frame proximal to the first set of
position indicators; a secondary set of position indicators
disposed on the frame proximal to the lock pin holes; wherein the
lock pin is adapted to be disposed in the first lock pin hole when
a support bar of the floor jack is aligned with a first alignment
indicator of the first set of alignment indicators that is proximal
to a first position indicator of the first set of position
indicators.
16. The floor jack of claim 10, wherein the lock pin holes includes
a first set of lock pin holes, and the frame includes a second set
of lock pin holes on the second side portion opposite from the
first set of lock pin holes.
17. The floor jack of claim 16, wherein the lock pin is adapted to
couple the lifting link arm and the frame through the first and
second sets of lock pin holes.
18. The floor jack of claim 10, wherein the lifting mechanism
includes a hydraulic piston.
19. The floor jack of claim 10, wherein the handle includes a
recess adapted to receive the lock pin.
20. A floor jack, comprising: a frame including lock pin holes;
position indicators disposed on the frame; alignment indicators
disposed on the frame, wherein the alignment indicators
respectively correspond to the position indicators; a lifting arm
pivotally coupled to the frame; a lifting mechanism coupled to the
lifting arm; a lifting link arm coupled to the lifting mechanism;
and a locking pin adapted to couple the lifting link arm and the
frame through at least one of the lock pin holes; and a handle
pivotally coupled to the lifting mechanism.
21. The floor jack of claim 20, wherein the lifting link arm
includes a pin lifting arm hole adapted to receive the locking
pin.
22. The floor jack of claim 20, further comprising secondary
position indicators disposed on the frame proximal to the lock pin
holes, wherein the secondary position indicators respectively
correspond to the position indicators.
23. The floor jack of claim 20, wherein the lock pin holes includes
first, second, and third lock pin holes, the first lock pin hole
corresponding to a first locked position, the second lock pin hole
corresponding to a second locked position, and the third lock pin
hole corresponding to a third locked position.
24. The floor jack of claim 23, wherein the locking pin is adapted
to be disposed in the first lock pin hole when a support bar of the
floor jack is aligned with a first alignment indicator of the
alignment indicators corresponding to a first position indicator of
the position indicators.
25. The floor jack of claim 20, wherein the lock pin holes include
a first set of lock pin holes and a second set of lock pin holes,
the first set of lock pin holes disposed on an opposite side of the
frame from the second set of lock pin holes.
26. The floor jack of claim 25, wherein the locking pin is adapted
to be disposed in the first and second sets of lock pin holes.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present application relates generally to jacks. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a lockout assembly
adapted to lock a jack securely at multiple operational
heights.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Floor jacks are used in repair shops to lift a vehicle from the
ground. An operator positions the floor jack underneath a lift
point and raises the vehicle at that point. Floor jacks can be
powered by manual or automated means, and have become important to
the automotive repair industry.
Shop floor jacks are required to withstand large weights, such as
that of a vehicle. The majority of floor jacks are hydraulic or
air-over-hydraulic actuated devices. It is a recommended practice
that after a vehicle is raised into position using a jack, one or
more jack stands are placed under the vehicle and the vehicle is
lowered onto the stand(s). Stands are typically telescoping tube
designs held at height with a cross pin. The use of stands replaces
the use of fluids holding the load in place with mechanical steel
pins. This approach, however, relies on the jacks to raise vehicles
at the same point the jack stand needs to be placed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates broadly to a floor jack locking
assembly with a locking pin used to mechanically lock out the jack
at a specified lift height. The locking assembly may include a
locking pin used to mechanically lock out the jack at a specified
lift height. The locking assembly may avoid the hydraulic lift
cylinder being the only stabilizing component of the jack when
supporting a significant load. The locking pin may be coupled to
lifting link arms, avoiding the need to have the locking pin
inserted into or through the lifting arm of the jack.
The locking assembly may avoid the hydraulic lift cylinder being
the only stabilizing component of the jack when supporting a
significant load.
In an embodiment, the present invention relates broadly to a floor
jack. The floor jack includes a frame including lock pin holes, a
lifting arm pivotally coupled to the frame, a lifting mechanism
coupled to the lifting arm, and a locking assembly. The locking
assembly may include a lifting link arm coupled to the lifting
mechanism, a locking pin adapted to couple the lifting link arm and
the frame through at least one of the lock pin holes, and a handle
pivotally coupled to the lifting mechanism.
In another embodiment, the present invention relates broadly to a
floor jack. The floor jack includes a frame including lock pin
holes, a lifting arm pivotally coupled to the frame, a lifting
mechanism coupled to the lifting arm, a lifting link arm coupled to
the lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting arm includes a pin
lifting arm hole. A lock pin is adapted to engage the frame and the
lifting link arm through at least one of the lock pin holes to
mechanically lock the lifting mechanism, and a handle is pivotally
coupled to the lifting mechanism.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject
matter sought to be protected, there is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing embodiments thereof, from an inspection of
which, when considered in connection with the following
description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its
construction and operation, and many of its advantages, should be
readily understood and appreciated.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a jack incorporating a locking
assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is an expanded perspective view of the jack of FIG. 1
according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a jack handle with stored locking
pin according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of jack handle of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the jack of FIG. 1 in a first locking
position according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is a side view of the jack of FIG. 1 in a second locking
position according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a side view of the jack of FIG. 1 in a third locking
position according to an aspect of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many
different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be
described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention with
the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered
as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to embodiments
illustrated. As used herein, the term "present invention" is not
intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention and is instead
a term used to discuss exemplary embodiments of the invention for
explanatory purposes only.
The present invention broadly relates to a floor jack and a
multi-height locking assembly. The multi-height locking assembly
provides additional security to prevent the hydraulic from being
the only locking mechanism on the jack. According to one aspect,
the locking assembly disclosed herein may allow the jack to be
locked mechanically to further protect against a failure in the
hydraulic system of the jack while under a load. Additionally, in
circumstances in which a significant load, such as a vehicle, would
normally be transferred to a jack stand after lifting, the locking
assembly disclosed herein may allow a mechanical lockout of the
hydraulics and eliminate the need for the jack stand at the lift
point of the load.
While the jack and locking assembly described herein may be
described in connection with lifting a vehicle as the load, one
skilled in the art will recognize that aspects of the present
disclosure may be implemented to support any load. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2, a jack 100 includes a handle 104 operably coupled to
a lifting arm 106 that is coupled to and movable relative to the
frame 102 in response to motion of the handle 104. A saddle base
108 is coupled to the lifting arm 106 and moves with the lifting
arm 106 in response to motion of the handle 104, allowing the
saddle base 108 to raise the vehicle. The saddle base 108 may
support a saddle 114 on a vehicle-facing surface of the saddle base
108 to help avoid marring or damaging the vehicle. The saddle base
108 and/or saddle 114 may be changeable to accommodate different
types of lift points, depending upon the vehicle.
The hydraulics of the jack 100 are part of a power unit 118. The
power unit 118 may include a lift piston 122 that is slidable
within a lift-piston assembly 120 of the power unit 118, and that
may be coupled to a locking assembly 124. Locking assembly 124 may
include lifting link arms 126. A locking pin 128 may be inserted
into one of a number of lock pin holes 130 and pin lifting arm
holes 131 in the link arms 126. The lock pin holes 130 are disposed
on opposing sides of the frame 102. For example, the frame 102 may
include first and second side portions. The first side portion
includes first lock pin holes 130, and the second side portion
includes second lock pin holes 130 that align with the first lock
pin holes 130, respectively.
When the locking pin 128 is inserted into one of the first lock pin
holes 130, extended through the pin lifting arm holes 131 in the
lifting link arm 126 and across the frame 102, and inserted into
the corresponding second lock pin hole 130, the hydraulics from the
power unit 118 become mechanically locked in place. The lock pin
128 maintains the lateral position of the lift piston assembly 120
and therefore will lock the lifting arm 106 in place. The locking
pin 128 prevents the lateral movement of the lifting link arms 126
regardless of the hydraulics in the power unit 118. That is, the
lifting arm 106 is not dependent on the hydraulics for maintaining
the jack height. The lock pin 128 provides a mechanical locking
solution that is stable and capable of withstanding significant
weight from the load. As mentioned above, this may eliminate the
need for additional support structures, such as jack stands, and
the substitution of those supports under a vehicle for the
jack.
Referring to FIGS. 3-4, the handle 104 of the jack 100 may include
a storage location for the locking pin 128. According to one aspect
of the disclosure the handle 104 may include a recess 132 or cavity
in a proximal end to receive the locking pin 128. The locking pin
may be sized and shaped to be just smaller than the recess 132 to
form a friction fit securing the locking pin 128 in the recess 132
of the handle 104. Alternative securing mechanisms may be
implemented, including gaskets, O-rings, flanges, spring,
push-button, or the like, that allow the locking pin 128 to be
securely stored in the handle 104, yet easily removable by a
user.
FIGS. 5-7 depict side-views of the jack 100 in various positions of
lift height. According to one aspect, the jack may have multiple
sets of first and second lock pin holes 130 to receive the locking
pin 128, each set of first and second locking holes representing a
different height of the lifting arm 106. The lock pin holes may
include labels 134 on the jack frame 102 indicating a numbered
position or other indicator of locked position. Exemplary labels
may include, without limitation, I, II, III; low, middle, high;
min, mid, max; or the like. FIG. 5 depicts the jack 100 in a first
height position, depicted as position I at the lowest locking
height. The jack frame 102 may also include corresponding secondary
position labels 136 that align with a line or surface of a support
bar 140 coupled to the saddle base 108. Alignment lines 138 may
extend from the secondary position labels 136. The alignment lines
138 may be sized and shaped to align with the support bar 140. The
labeling scheme shown in FIGS. 5-7 provide a visual indicator to
the user of the position of the jack that will allow the jack to
engage the mechanical locking assembly. As the user actuates the
jack 100, causing the lifting arm 106 to rise and lower the load,
the user may visually monitor the alignment of the support bar 140
with the alignment lines 138 and secondary position indicators 136.
When the support bar aligns with the alignment line 138 of the
desired position, the user may insert the locking pin 128 in to the
corresponding first and second lock pin holes 130 with the
corresponding label 134.
FIG. 6 depicts the jack 100 in a second height position, labeled
position II. The support bar 140 now aligns with the alignment line
138 corresponding to the secondary position label 136, labeled
position II. FIG. 7 depicts the jack 100 in a third height
position, labeled position III. The support bar 140 now aligns with
the alignment line 138 corresponding to the secondary position
label 136, labeled position III. When the user desires to lower the
jack, the locking pin 128 may be removed and stored in the handle
104, and the jack may be lowered.
The locking assembly of the present disclosure is advantageous over
traditional jacks in that the locking assembly provides a secure
mechanism to lock the jack mechanically without relying on, or
stressing the hydraulics. The locking assembly also provides for
multiple locking positions and a user-friendly manner of indicating
to a user when the jack is in a locking position.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been described
improved jack with a trunnion block assembly that includes one or
more trunnions coupled to a block such that upon actuation of a
power unit, including a piston, the trunnion block assembly
displaces connection plates coupled to a lifting arm of the jack.
The multi-component trunnion block assembly provides a structural
advantage over a unitary body trunnion block with the trunnions
formed as part of the body.
As used herein, the term "coupled" and its functional equivalents
are not intended to necessarily be limited to direct, mechanical
coupling of two or more components. Instead, the term "coupled" and
its functional equivalents are intended to mean any direct or
indirect mechanical, electrical, or chemical connection between two
or more objects, features, work pieces, and/or environmental
matter. "Coupled" is also intended to mean, in some examples, one
object being integral with another object. As used herein, the term
"a" or "one" may include one or more items unless specifically
stated otherwise.
The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying
drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a
limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and
described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
broader aspects of the inventors' contribution. The actual scope of
the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following
claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior
art.
* * * * *